Internal-combustion engine



May 22, 1928.

1,670,355 1.. B. HARRIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 6, 1926 7Sheets-Sheet 1 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 LeonardB. Hz rris LfB. HARRIS INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 6, 1926 May 22, 1928.

May 22, 1928. 1,670,355

L. B.. HARRIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 6, 1926 '7Sheets-Sheet 3 amxmtm L eonariBHarri 5 Mag 22, 1928.

L. B. HARRIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 6, 1926 7Sheets-.Shet 4 3 1mm LeonardBHarri s Gian-n M;

May 22, 1928. 1,670,355

L. B. HARRIS INTERNAL (lMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March e, 1926 'rSheets-Sheet 5 Zinoenlot v LeonardBHarris May 22, 1928.

L. B. HARRIS INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 6, 1926 '7Sheets-Sheet 6 May 22, 1928.

L. B. HARRlb INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Marbh e, 1926 7sneeis-sheet LeonrdBHarris Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

LEONARD 1B. HARRIS, 0! NEW YORK, N. Y

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed March 6, 1926. Serial No. 92,871.

My said invention relates to internal combustion engines and it is anobject thereof to provide an engine of the Diesel type in which aplurality of pistons act on an oblique disk or so-called wabble plate.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pistonconstruction for use with alined cylinders.

Another object is to provide an improved lubrication system for suchengines. These and other objects will be more fully defined hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof andon which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figures 1* and 1', taken together, constitute a side elevation of theengine.

Fi ures 2 and 2, taken together, a similar vlew partly in verticalcentral section on line 22 of Fig. 4, with parts omitted, I

Figure 3, a plan with parts removed partly in section to show theinternal construction,

Figure 4, a vertical section on two different planes in Figure 2 Figure5, a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 6,

gigure 6, a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5, an

Figure 7 a diagrammatic view illustrating the movements of air in theoperation of the engine.

In the drawings reference character 10 in- 'dicates the supporting frameor casing of my device which frame may be of ventional on desirablecharacter. rality of sets of pistons are supported on any conthis frameby suitable cylinders, each piston comprising a reduced portion 11,which serves as a working piston, and a larger portion 12, which servesas a scavenger piston, the whole forming a stepped piston. A pair ofsuch alined stepped pistons are connected yoke being bolted to theadjacent ends of the pistons or otherwise suitably secured thereto. Eachof the yokes has a slot indicated at 14 in which a stud 15 engages toprevent rotation of the yoke about its axis. The stud is held in athreaded aperture in the outer shell 10. of the engine and extendsthrough a hole in the wall of the cylinder 16. Said hole may be threadedif desired. The shell or casing 10 is preferably formed of two partsjoined about mid-length of the engine by abutting flanges 17 secured to-A plua by a yoke 13 U-shaped in side elevation, said 'gether by means ofbolts 17'. The bolts or tie rods 18 tie to ether the end cylinders 19(1n which the reduced ends 11 of the pistons have their movement) andthe intermediate an cylinders 16 (in which the scavenger pistons 12 havetheir movement) thus taking care of the torsional strain due tosimultaneous explosions in cylinders at opposite corners of the engine.The larger portions 12 of the o5 pistons operate as scavenger istons inportions 16 of the cylinders whlle the smaller portions 11 of thepistons operate as work ing pistons in the portions 19 of the cylinders,as will be readily understood.

Adjustable plugs 20 are provided in the adjacent ends of their enlargedparts 12 and are held in place by screw-threads orother 7 appropriateadjusting means. Said plugs are hollowed out at their inner ends to formcup-shaped recesses. Longitudinal grooves are provided at 21 about theperiphery of the plug 20 to permit engagement by a spanner for purposesof adjustment. The main shaft. 22 of the'engine (Fig. 2 which is ansupported in the frame in any suitable manner, as by means of plainbearings 23 and Kingsbury; thrust bearings 24 (details of which are notshown), bears a wobble plate" or obli no disk 25 which is intended to beat driven y the pistons heretofore described. The connection between thepistons and the wabble plate is formed by means of a series of slippers26 at each side of the-wabble plate. Each of these slippers comprises a00 disk with a fiat facebearing against the fiat face of the wabbleplate and a hemi-spherical boss for engagement with the cup-shapedrecess in the outer end of the adjustable plug 20 of the correspondingpiston.

It has heretofore been proposed to utilize a slipper in like connectionbut-in previous constructions means have been provided by means of whichthe slipper was held against rotation upon its own axis. In myconstruction each slipper is left free to rotate and hence a point onits surfaces will have a sort of gyratory path on the adjacent face ofthe wabble plate due to the combined totary movement of the wabble plateand the slipper about their respective axes. This conduces to effectivelubrication, by any suitable or'approved means, of the contacting facesof the two parts and equalizes the wear over the entire face of the sliper so .asto make 1ts contact with the wabb e plate always the same.

My engine embodies means for compressing air in the power or workingcylinder 19 for the purpose of ignitln a charge of liquid fuel forcedinto the high y compressed air so as to be ignited by the heatengendered by the compression of such air, as is well understood bythose familiar with the so-callcd Diesel type of engine. For introducingair into said working cylinders 1n sufficient quantity to scavenge thegases due to combustion of the revious charge and also to provide pureair for use in connection with the new charge of fuel I have providednovel means consistin of passages leading from the scavenging chambers16 of the cylinders to the working chambers 19 with appropriate inletsto the scavenging chambers and outlets from the working chambers. Suchpassages are best shown in Figures 2, 5, 6 and 7. The working chambershave inlet ports 27,27 (Figs. 3 and 5) and outlet ports 28, 28.

As the piston shown at the top of Fig. 3 which is the piston in thecylinder at the left hand side of Fig. 5, moves to the left air iscompressed in the scavenging chamber 16 of the left hand cylinder and isforced out through passages indicated in part at 44 (Fig. 5) to inletports 27 in the working chamber at the lower left hand corner in Figure3 where the compressed pure air acts to force out the products ofcombustion and thereafter to fill that working chamber with pure air.

The advance of the piston shown in Fig. 3 closes first the inlet port27, then closes the outlet port 28, and then compresses the air into thesmall space at the end of the cylinder inside the boss 49. At this timea jet of liquid fuel is injected into this space and simultaneously intothe working chamber 19 at the lower right hand corner by means of thefuel pumps 60 as shown in Fig. 1 and due to the heat of the compressedair the fuel is immediately ignited so as to force the one piston to theright and the other to the left whereupon the larger stepped portion atthe other end of the upper piston in Fig. 3 in turn forces air into theworking chamber at the lower right hand corner of Fig. 3 which containsthe reduced portion of the parallel piston the cylinder shown at thebottom of Fig. 3, or at the right in Fig. 5, thus scavenging the chamberand thereafter replenishing the air supply therein. As the piston shownin Fig. 3 moved to the right (or into the position shown in said figure)the air in the lower left hand working chamber 19 (Fig. 3) wascompressed by movement of the corresponding piston to the left andsimultaneously air from the scavenging chamber was forced into theworking chamber 19 at the upper left hand corner. Thereafter fuel issupplied to the working chambers at the lower left hand and upper righthand in Fig. 3, and thus the alternate pressure from opposite sidescontinues the rotation of the wabble plate and the shaft driven thereby.From the exhaust port 28 the gases pass out through passages which arewater jacketed.

The device of my invention is provided with pneumatically operatedstarting means indicated generally at 55 in Fig. 1, which figure alsoshows eccentrics 33 for operating said air starting mechanism 55 andshows the valve casing 34 for controlling the passage of air from eitherof the scavenging chambers to the opposite working chamber, aspreviously explained.

A governor 35 is shown in Fig. l 'as is also a controlling hand-wheel36. The valve casing 34, shown more particualrly in Figs. 5 and 6,contains a set of valves 37, 38, 39, 4.0 which serve to control passagesleading respectively from the outer air to the scavenging chambers ofthe respective cylinders at the left-hand end of Fig. 1 and from therespective scavenging chambers to the working chambers of the oppositecylincler in cases where, as here, there are but two cylinders, it beingobvious that the number of casings 34 must increase as the number ofcylinders increases. For example, the valve 37 closes the external portof a passage indicated in dotted lines at 41 leading to the scavengingchamber of the piston at the right-hand side of Fig. 5 while the valve39 closes a passage 42 leading from such chamber to the working chamberof the left-hand cylinder as shown in Fig. 5. The valve 38 closes anexternal port of a passage 43 leading from the outer air to thescavenging chamber of the left-hand cylinder and the valve 40 closes apassage 44 leading from said chamber to the working chamber at the lowerleft hand corner of Fig. 3.

A diagrammatic illustration showing the path of the air through thedifferent passages is provided in Fig. 7. In this illustration thecircles denote the respective valves 37, 38, 39 and 40. A movement ofthe right-haud piston (Fig. 5) to the right draws the air along the lineof the arrows through valve 37, passage 41 and port 29' into thescavenging chamber of the corresponding cylinder which is at the lowerleft hand in Fig. 3. On the return movement of the piston the air passesback by way of the same passage 41 but the valve 37 is now closed by theair current and the valve 39 is opened so that the air passes throughthe passage 42 and port 27 to the working chamber indicated at the upperleft hand corner in Fig. 3 of the left-hand cylinder (Fig. 5) producinga scavenging action and then filling this chamber with air to becompressed, as above explained, in the charge-forming operation.

Ill.

A movement of the left-hand piston (Fig. 5) draws. a charge of airthroughvalve 38, passage43, and port 29 into the scavenging chamber atthe upper left hand corner in Fig. 3. The 0 posite movement of thepiston forces the air back through port 29 and passage 43, then throughvalve 40, passa e 44 and port 27 to the .,working chamber at the lowerleft hand in Fig. 3, the piston of which has at this time uncovered port27' and the exhaust port 28'. It will be recalled that the pistons ateach side of the axis of the engine move oppositely so that each steppedpiston acts as a scavenging agent for the oppositely working piston atthe same end of the engine.

It will be understood that the valves are actually possessed ofconsiderable flexibility and prefe'rabl are rather thin. These valvesare locate on spindles 49 passing through the hubs of spiders 50 whichin a preferred form of the invention have six. arms extending out to therim 51 'of the thimble which closes the valve opening and supports-thevalve. Each of the spindles supports a shield 52 at a little distancefrom the valve so thatthe valve may slide inwardand then bend so as tolie against the curved outer face of the shield. It will be evident thatthe air drawnflin through a valve, as 37 or 38, cannot return throughthe same passage for the reason that the valve is carried into closingposition by the flow of air so as to prevent exit of air through theinlet passage. At the same time the valve located in alined relation inFi 6 will beforced open by the pressure 0 the air so as to permit theexit from the scavenging chamber of one cylinder to the workingchaiiiberof the adjacent parallel cylinder.

Having thus fully described in said inventionnvhat I claim as new andesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An internal combustion en inecomprising a pair of arallel cyfinders,astepped iston in each cylinder, main air passages eading from theatmosphere to the scavenging chambers of the respective cylindeis,branch passages connecting each of said passages to the workin chamberof the adjacent parallel cylinder, oating valves at the entrance to saidmain air pa$a es, and floating valves at the junction of t e main andthe branch air passages, substantially as set forth. I

2. In an internal combustion engine-oomprising pairs of opposedstepped'cylinders aving aligned stepped pistons therein, a yokeconnecting the opposed pistons therein, a wabble plate operating withinsaid yoke, and slippers carried by said yoke the slippers operatingagainst 0 posite sides of said wabb e plate, substanti 1y asset forth.

3. In an internal combustion engine coinprising pairs of opposed steppedcylinders aving aligned stepped-pistons therein, a yoke connecting theopposed pistons therein, a wabble plate operating within said yoke,adjustable blocks carried by said yoke and slippers mounted in saidblocks sai slippers 0 rating a ainst opposite sides of said wabb 0plate, su tantially as set forth.

4. In an internal combustion engine comrising pairs of opposed steppedcylinders aving aligned stepped pistons therein, a yoke connecting theopposed pistons therein, a wabble and slip rs mounted to revolve in saidblocks said slippers o erating against opposite sides of said wabbleplate, substantia l as set forth.

5. In an internal combustion engine comrising pairs of opposed steppedcylinders Iavin aligned stepped pistons therein, a U- s a therein, meansto prevent rotating of said yoke and pistons, 21 wabble plate operatinwithin said yoke, adjustable blocks, carri by said yoke said blockshaving ball sockets and rotatable sli pers mounted in sai blockseach ofsaid slippers comprisin a ball fitting in a ball socket and a disk aceadapted to operate against said wabble plate, substantially as setforth.

6. Inan internal'combustion engine comprising pairs of opposed steppedcylinders having ali ed stepped pistons therein, a U- shaped yo econnecting the opposed pistons therein, means to prevent rotation ofsaid yoke and pistons, ,a wabble plate operatin within sai yoke,adjustable blockscarrie by said yoke with their axis in line with theaxis of said cylinders said block having ball sockets, and rotatableslippers mounted in said blocks each of said slippers comprising a ballfitting in a ball socket and a disk face adapted to o erate against saidwabble plate, substantially as set forth.

7. In an internal combustion engine com;- prisingpairsof opposed steppedcylinders aving ali ed stepped pistons therein, a U- shaped yo econnecting the opposed P18150118 therein, m'eansto prevent rotation ofsaid yoke and istons, a wabble plate operatin within sai yoke,adjustable blocks carrie by said yoke with their axis in line with theaxis of said cylinders said blocks having ball sockets, and rotatableslippers mounted in said blocks said slippers comprising a ball fittingin a ball socket and a disk face adaptplate operating within said yoke,adjustable blocks carried by said yoke,

yoke connecting the opposed pistons ed to rotate against said wabbleplate, sub--

